Armchair construction



May 4, 1954 G. a. ABRAMCVITZ 2,677,414

ARMCHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 25, 1951 Gem/d 6. Abmmvwi z Illa/I 5 I H #0217 e/ Patented May 4, 1954 ARMCHAIB CONSTRUCTION Gerald Grisha Abramovitz, Silverton, Pretoria, Transvaal, Union of South Africa Application August 25, 1951, Serial N 0. 243,613

Claims priority, application Union of South Africa September 9, 1950 Claims.

This invention relates to armchairs and provides a construction combining simplicity and cheapness with strength and lightness. This is attained more particularly by the use of legs and arm rests which provide sides for the chair frame and have a minimum of elements.

According to the invention in an armchair frame providing four legs, two arm rests and transversals between the sides for the support of a seat and a back rest between them, each side comprises three elements two of which provide legs and cross one another whilst the third con" stitutes the arm rest and is connected at its forward end with the upper end of the rear legforming element, the upper end of the front legelement connecting with the arm rest element to the rear of the region of crossing of the two leg-forming elements.

More particularly the arm rest element exforming tends rearwardly beyond the lower end of the rear leg element and the crossing region of the leg elements occurs within the forward one-third or one-half of its length.

By this disposition of the said three elements forming one side of the chair, and assuming strong joints to occur where the leg elements c, and where their upper ends meet the arm rest at its front and rearwardly along it, a counterpoising of the arm rest by the leg elements is obtained and no other tie is necessary between the latter.

Each side, being formed in this way, is joined transversely to its fellow by for example three cross bars, one occurring between each of the front legs and another between the back legs at heights such that their upper edges coincide with a plane sloping at a slight downward angle towards the rear, and may receive and support a seat member of any suitable construction. The third cross bar firmly connects the rear ends of the two arm rests and its front face is positioned and generally prepared so as to serve as a support for a suitably constructed back rest member joined to the rear of the seat member preferably as a single unit therewith capable of being dropped into position between the sides to settle down across the leg element bars and against the front of the third cross bar in a comfortable arrangement.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are embodied in a construction of chair described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section at the centre of the chair;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same chair (broken to denote that its width is a matter of choice);

Figure 3 is a plan of the same chair;

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line VV of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmental side view, see arrow VI in Figure 3; and.

Figure 7 is a fragmental section showing an alternative mode of connecting certain parts of the chair.

In these drawings, reference numeral I denotes the rear leg-forming elements which cross the respective front leg-forming elements 2 at regions 3 and connect at their upper front ends 2 with the respective arm rest elements 5. The upper and read ends of the elements 2 connect also with the arm rest elements 5 at regions 5 a short distance rearwardly of the regions 3 aforesaid. The rear ends 1 of the elements 5 are seen to extend beyond the elements l, the lengths of which elements 5 are such that the regions 3 occur in the relation to them already noted.

The two sides thus constructed are joined by three bars 8, 9 and It, the first two of which support on their upper and suitably bevelled edges 8a and 9a the base frame members it of the seat member i 2, whilst the bar it supports on its inclined forward face lila, the frame members 13 of the back rest member M which is assumed to be of unitary construction with the seat.

The sides and cross bars as above described may be made of suitable wood in appropriate lengths. The side members are preferably of rounded corners or generally oval section or sections (see Figures 4 and 5) and tapered, in the case of leg elements 9 and 2 to thicken upwardly and in the case of the arm rest elements 5 to thin down rearwardly. The rear leg elements I may meet the forward ends of the respective arm rest elements in substantial butt joints l5 bisecting the angles of junction and preferably strengthened as by dowelling or the like as at 15a. The front leg elements may be of a generally lighter and flatter section compared with the others, so that they may cross the other leg elements as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4 by penetrating complementary section holes formed through them, to connect at their upper ends with the arm rest members by mortice and tenon or like joints l6 which may be dowelled also as at [6a. The lower cross bars may be tenoned into the legs at the appropriate heights and any strong form of woodworkers interlocking joint, e. g. dovetails ll, may be used for cross-connecting the rear ends of the arm rests by the back rest supporting bar conveniently of D-shaped cross section as shown in Figure 6.

The preferred form of seat and back rest unit is an open wooden frame comprising seat and back portions fixed together as shown in a generally L-arrangement, and upholstered in any convenient way, for example by application of one of the foam rubber materials.

In an alternative the frame is faced over with one of the hard synthetic board or sheet materials preferably flush-fitted marginally into the frame on both sides thereof, and designed to receive loose cushions or to be suitably upholstered In' position, the seat and back rest unit of whatever construction may be fixed between the chair sides by angle brackets contributing to the strength of the completed chair, or any other convenient form of connection may be employed. Eyelet or grommets driven into the bars 8 and if! may have ordinary wood screws passed through their respective eyelets into the seat and back frame members H and i3, as indicated at a: in Figure 1 to form simply made connections of the seat back with said bars. Brackets such as E8 in Figure 7 may flush-fit into, to connect, seat and back frame members I I (I3) directly with leg and arm rest elements i, 2(5), dispensing with cross bars as 8, 9 and H) or any of these; or such brackets may serve merely as reinforcements for the various joints described.

What I claim is:

1. An armchair comprising two sides and means supporting a seat and a back rest between the two sides, each of said sides consisting solely of three elements, two of which constitute front and rear legs which cross one another, while the third constitutes an arm rest which is connected at its forward end with the upper end of the rear leg element, the upper end of the front leg element being connected with the arm rest at a point to the rear of the region of crossing of the two leg elements, the arm rest element on each side extending rearwardly beyond the lower end of the corresponding rear leg element and the crossing region of the leg elements occurring below the front half of the'arm rest element.

2. An armchair according to claim 1 comprising rigid joints at the point Where the leg elements of each side cross and where their upper ends respectively meet the corresponding arm rest at its front end and rearwardly along it.

3. An armchair according to claim 2, comprising cross bars between corresponding elements of the two sides tenoned into the latter, the rear ends of the arm rest elements being connected by 4 interlocking joints with a back rest supporting bar.

4. An armchair according to claim 1, wherein the sides are joined transversely to each other by an arrangement of cross bars, some of said bars secured between the front and rear leg elements and one secured between the rear ends of the two arm rest elements, said cross bars providing the means for supporting the seat and back rest.

5. An armchair according to claim 1 wherein the sides are joined transversely to each other by an arrangement of three cross bars one secured between the front legs and another secured between the back legs at heights such that their upper edges coincide with a plane sloping at a slight downward angle towards the rear for the reception and support of a seat member of any suitable construction, the third cross bar firmly connecting the rear ends of the two arm rests and having a front face positioned and formed so as to serveas a support for a back rest member.

6. An armchair according to claim 5 comprising a back rest member joined to the rear of a seat member as a single unit therewith, capable of being dropped into position between the sides of the chair to settle down across the leg element bars and against the front of the third cross bar so as to snugly abut thereagainst.

'7. An armchair according to claim 1 whereof the arm rest and leg forming elements are made of wood in lengths tapering from end to end and having rounded corner cross sections.

8. An armchair according to claim 1 wherein the rear leg forming elements meet the forward ends of the respective arm rest elements in substantially butt joints bisecting the angles of junction.

9. An armchair according to claim 1 wherein the front leg forming elements are of generally lighter and flatter section than the other leg forming elements, said front legs are secured to the latter by penetrating holes and fasteners, and connected at their upper ends with the arm rest members by mortices and tenon joints.

10. An armchair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means supporting a seat and back rest between the two sides consists of bracket connections on the leg forming elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 438,570 Smith Oct. 14, 1890 2,314,130 Davis Mar. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,242 Great Britain A. D. 1888 612,721 Germany May 3, 1935 

